Winter Steam Sale brings discounts to many fighters

The annual Winter Steam Sale has arrived, bringing big discounts to many fighting games offered through the platform.

Arc System Works has cut prices on many titles including Arcana Heart 3 LOVE MAX!!!!!, Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code, Battle Fantasia and older versions of the Under Night, Guilty Gear and BlazBlue series.

SNK is once again offering low prices for King of Fighters XIII, 2002 Unlimited Match and '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition, as well as The Last Blade 2.

Lastly, there are also sizable discounts for Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat XL, Skullgirls, Blade Arcus, Koihime Enbu and many other titles. Sadly, it seems recently released titles such as Guilty Gear Xrd -Revelator- and Garou: Mark of the Wolves are not included in this year's sale. For a list containing most of the titles, head over to Steam.

Mortal Kombat XL patch notes for Oct. 4, 2016, detailed

Mortal Kombat XL is getting a patch to coincide with the game's release on Steam on Oct. 4 and NetherRealm Studios has posted the list of changes.

Stamina has become more precious in the new patch, with running and cancelling into a dash draining more and getting hit while running costing a lot. There are also plenty of changes to almost the entire cast, with new moves created and properties, such as armor, given to or taken away from existing commands.

Check out the patch notes after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Mortal Kombat XL balance patch arriving Oct. 4

Ed Boon has confirmed that the MKXL balance patch will make the target date set by the game's Steam release.

He also made note that a Kombat Kast on Oct. 3 on NetherRealm's Twitch channel will give players all the details of the patch.

In the meantime, however, Boon and other NRS employees like Paulo Garcia and Tyler Lansdown have taken to Twitter to share footage of the patch in action.

As always, Boon and company are rather cryptic in saying what some of the footage means, only letting it speak for itself.

Upcoming Mortal Kombat XL balance patch confirmed

With first the speculation and then the announcement that MKXL is coming to Steam, Mortal Kombat players have been hoping that a new balance patch could be rolled out along with the title.

That hope has been made a reality as series creator Ed Boon tweeted on Sept. 9 that NetherRealm Studios is readying a new series of gameplay tweaks, which the company hopes to have ready by Steam release.

This should come as welcome news to players who have been hoping for various nerfs to Alien along with changes to other characters in the cast.

Mortal Kombat XL arrives for Steam on Oct. 4, 2016.

Mortal Kombat XL coming to Steam on Oct. 4

GameSpot is reporting that the long wait for PC owners hoping to play Kombat Pack 2 will soon be over.

On Oct. 4, 2016, Mortal Kombat XL will launch for the Steam platfor, complete with both Kombat Packs for players who buy the new release. Players who already have MKX will be able to download the most current balance patch for free, but according to a Steam listing it looks like KP2 will still be a separate product.

The story of Mortal Kombat XL and a PC version already has a complicated history, as XL was originally announced only for PS4 and Xbox One in January 2016. Then at the end of July series creator Ed Boon teased players with the possibility of MKXL on Steam in the form of a popular vote; this eventually lead to the recent PC beta test and finally confirmation of the game's release.

Mortal Kombat X on PC gets public online beta weekend with XL characters

Players can now try out Mortal Kombat X in its current iteration this weekend for free on PC as part of a network test.

MKX on Valve's Steam platform has been updated with a link that allows anybody to participate in the "MKXL Enhanced Online Beta." The 23.1gb download allows players to play the whole Mortal Kombat X cast against others using a rollback netcode system similar to that of GGPO. This test was originally featured on the console version of MKX in preparation for Kombat Pack 2/Mortal Kombat XL.

This will mark the first time PC MKX players can use KP2 characters Alien, Leatherface, Triborg and Bo' Rai Cho. The original PC version on Steam, handled by High Voltage Software, was criticized for various bugs and lack of support. The port was met with further disapproval after NetherRealm Studios' Tyler Lansdown announced on Test Your Might that Kombat Pack 2 would only be on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

This beta test was alluded to after Ed Boon on Twitter had a poll with one of the choices being "MKXL with GGPO on PC."

While there is no information in regards to the sale of Kombat Pack 2 characters on PC, you can try them now by going to the game's Steam page. The beta ends on Aug. 29, 2016, at 10 a.m. PST.

Mortal Kombat XL coming to PC?

After PC gamers spent months disappointed that MKXL was not coming to their platform of choice, NetherRealm Studios has shown that the company may be changing its mind about the project.

At the end of July, series creator Ed Boon put out a poll asking players what MKXL announcement they would want most, with almost 50 percent of voters saying a PC port with GGPO netcode. Boon then responded by saying "We hear ya!" but has been mostly silent on the issue since then.

However, on Aug. 22 Boon posted another one of his famous cryptic tweets, saying "Maybe we should Karry eXtra Long People who Care?" together with a picture of what appears to be a motherboard.

While this is not a clear-cut confirmation that the game is finally coming to PC, Boon has been known to spoil announcements before.

New video shows the tribulations of Balanced Kenshi in Mortal Kombat X

Test Your Might user ando1184 has created a new video showing some of the hitbox problems and general inconsistencies that plague Kenshi's Balanced variation in Mortal Kombat X.

The roughly four-minute music video, set to Enya, showcases how many of Balanced Kenshi's tools fail to work as players think they should, or create situations that are confusing and frustrating. The video's creator claims this is not a call for buffs to the character, but merely an illustration of his various hardships.

Players can check out the video after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Mortal Kombat X gets $50,000 pot bonus for Evo 2016

NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Games will again be adding big money to the prize pot at Evolution as MKX will receive a $50,000 bonus as part of Evolution 2016.

Mortal Kombat series creator Ed Boon had teased the announcement on Twitter, where he capitalized the Evo letters all throughout his tweet.

Evolution 2016 takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 15-18.

ESL announces Mortal Kombat X Pro League Season 3

Mortal Kombat's ESL Pro League will be returning for a third season, with more money in prizes than ever before.

During the third season, Pro League players will compete for a total of $500,000 in cash prizes including a $200,000 award for winning the ESL finals in Burbank, California. ESL also promises more ways to win, including the introduction of the Challenger Cup set of weekly tournaments.

The regular season of the ESL Pro League begins April 3, 2016, while the Challenger Cup begins for North America, Europe, the CIS and newly added Latin America on April 2. For more information, check out the MKX Pro League website.

'Big news' coming for Mortal Kombat XL

Ed Boon has promised big upcoming news for Mortal Kombat fans as soon as March 30, according to his Twitter.

Coming so soon after an unexpected March 29 patch to MKXL, it's unclear what the news could entail. Boon has often enjoyed playing on the hopes and fears of MK fans on Twitter, as he has spoiled some future characters well in advance of their release while teasing others that have yet to become a reality.

And that's not to say the Boon's announcement is necessarily about in-game content. It could also have something to do with the Krimson Ermac skin fund, other tournament-related proceedings or even be related to sales of 500,000 copies of the PC version of Mortal Kombat X. In other words, everyone will find out when Boon wants to tell them.

Mortal Kombat XL, Kombat Pack 2 now available, new patch released

The Mortal Kombat X scene has received some radical changes in the form of four new characters and a gameplay patch on the first day of March.

Alien, Bo' Rai Cho, Leatherface and Tri-Borg have joined the cast of MKX with Kombat Pack 2. These four characters are also available, along with all other DLC, as part of the newly released Mortal Kombat XL, a version of the game that brings new MKX players immediately up to date with the current game.

And speaking of the current game, March 1 also saw the release of a new patch that brings massive changes to many characters and the core gameplay of MKX. The patch changes how breakers, chip damage, meter gain and even the round timer work, as well as plenty of tweaks for the existing cast. Check out the list of changes after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Keep track of frame data and more with MKX NOTES

A new application on both the iOS App and Google Play stores allows players to write down or capture useful information for use in Mortal Kombat X play.

MKX NOTES comes complete with updated frame data for each variation—and non-variation frame data—as well as the ability to take text, photo or video notes for specific characters or moves. There is even a search feature to allow for easy access and the ability to share notes with friends over social media.

Check out the trailer for MKX NOTES after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Krimson Ermac skin to support MKX tournaments, releases March 1

Players may remember that the sale of the Blue Steel Sub-Zero skin helped raise money for Mortal Kombat X prize pool at various events, and now NetherRealm Studios is doing it again. 

Officially revealed during the Kombat Kast on Feb. 18—and spoiled a week earlier—Krimson Ermac is a new skin, available March 1, that can be purchased with a portion of the proceeds going to MKX tournament prize pools.

The price has not yet been revealed for Krimson Ermac, but Sub-Zero's alternate costume cost players $1.99 so it seems likely that Krimson Ermac may follow suit. Check out the trailer after the jump.

Click to read more ...

NorCal Regionals 2016 Announced, March 25-27 at Sacramento, CA

NorCal Regionals is heading back to the California capital of Sacramento for 2016.

This will be the third consecutive entry that NCR will be at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Capitol Plaza. From March 25-27, the Northern California major will host Street Fighter V, Ultra Street Fighter IV, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- and Mortal Kombat X. SFV is part of the Capcom Pro Tour as a Premier Event.

While the aforementioned games are part of the main list, players can also participate in the Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Dead or Alive 5 Last Round and Killer Instinct community tournaments.

Registration for NCR 2016 is live with different packages. If you are planning to register, there are multiple options with various benefits including the weekend-long After Hours Room. If you are looking to stay at the Holiday Inn, it's priced at $99 a night.

You can register now on the official NorCal Regionals website!

Evolution 2016 lineup announced, coming to Las Vegas Convention Center & Mandalay Bay

In a sitdown interview on Red Bull eSports, Joey "Mr. Wizard" Cuellar revealed the games that will be part of Evo 2016 as well as its location.

The Evolution staff is putting on nine games for the competitive fighting game community. You can expect Street Fighter V, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-, Mortal Kombat X, Pokkén Tournament, Killer Instinct, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Tekken 7: Fated Retribution.

A majority of Evolution will be at the Las Vegas' own convention center for Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, the finals day will come to the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The hotel is set for the Westgate Hotel. Stay tuned for information on tickets.

Other information revealed includes the return of the Indie Games area. Brook's Super Converters will be allowed but can be banned if any future issues affect them.

Evolution 2016 is coming July 15-17! Make sure to check the Evo website for updates!

Kung Lao unbreakable combos and setups by ETC Mcfly

Test Your Might user ETC Mcfly has posted videos showing off the various ways Kung Lao can get unbreakable damage in Mortal Kombat X.

Each of the three videos—one for each variation—shows different tricks that will allow players to sidestep another player's breaker with their combos, whether by using Lao's hat projectile, comboing into throw or by activating an interactable.

While the damage on most of the combos is not much more than 20 percent, and some of the setups may be hard to replicate in tournament matches, there are still plenty of entertaining ideas for other players to glean from the videos.

Check out the videos after the jump.

Click to read more ...

Mortal Kombat XL bringing all MKX content to PS4, XB1 on March 1

NetherRealm Studios has announced an upcoming edition of Mortal Kombat X to coincide with the Kombat Pack 2 downloadable content. Dubbed Mortal Kombat XL, the game will follow in the footsteps of other NRS reissues by including all previously released DLC—characters, skins and even the new KP2—along with improved netcode and the reintroduction of The Pit.

However, while XL is great news for players who may not have picked up MKX or would just like all the content in one place, it will only be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Players who picked up MKX for PC will be disappointed to hear that neither XL nor Kombat Pack 2 will be arriving for their platform of choice.

Mortal Kombat XL is scheduled for release on March 1, 2016. Hit the jump for the announcement trailer.

Click to read more ...

Registration for Mortal Kombat X revised netcode test starts January 19

Netherrealm Studios will soon launch their public test build of Mortal Kombat X running on a newer netcode dubbed the Enhanced Online Beta.

The change from an input lag-based netcode to a rollback style code reminiscent of GGPO was previously hinted before the announcement of the EOB.

Players who accumulated at least one hour in MKX can register for access in the EOB starting Jan. 19. The EOB will have limited spots in the beginning but will slowly add more later on. Scorpion, Jacqui Briggs, Johnny Cage and Sub Zero will be the first set of characters to be playable in the EOB with more down the line.

NRS wants people to provide feedback whether it's through the in-game survey, forums or video content so they can improve the netcode. 

The beta is currently set for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One builds of MKX. No information if the beta will include support for the PC at this time. You can check out the announcement video after the jump!

Click to read more ...

Kombat Pack 2 characters show off gameplay in new MKX trailer

Ed Boon promised that he would unveil new footage of the upcoming Kombat Pack 2 characters—Leatherface, Alien, Bo' Rai Cho and Triborg—and now a roughly two-minute trailer has been releasing showing some of what players can expect to see as the fighters roll out in 2016.

The trailer shows combos, X-Rays and even glimpses of the fatalities that the DLC will dish out on release in MKX. 

Players can check out the teaser trailer below. There is still no release date for any of the Kombat Pack 2 content.

Click to read more ...